Oral motor function in obesity.

Background: Obese individuals may have impaired oral sensory functioning and abnormal oral motor function, a consequence of fat deposition in muscles.

Objective: To evaluate the oral motor function in obese individuals.

Material And Methods: Three observational cross-sectional studies were performed.

Treatment indicators influence speech therapy discharge time.

Purpose: To compare the treatment time for acquired neurological disorders of communication and the reason for discharge of users of a medium complexity care service for two periods: before and after implementation of treatment indicators.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out involving the analysis of medical records of users of the Adult Language Sector of the Speech and Hearing Therapy Service of the Integrated Rehabilitation Center, seen before and after treatment indicators implementation.

Results: 129 electronic medical records of users who remained under treatment until discharge from speech therapy in the two studied periods were analyzed.

Timing of Pharyngeal Swallow Events in Chagas' Disease.

Background: Esophageal involvement by Chagas' disease causes a significative decrease in the number of neurons of the esophageal myenteric plexus, causing an impairment of esophageal motility with the same alterations described in primary esophageal achalasia. There is also a longer duration of pharyngeal transit, which might be consequent of the involvement of the central control of swallowing by the disease, or an adaptation of the pharynx to the difficult bolus transit through the esophagus, which could contribute to the complaint of dysphagia.

Methods: We studied, by videofluoroscopy, the sequence and timings of pharyngeal bolus transit in 16 patients with esophageal involvement by Chagas' disease and 12 healthy volunteers.

Variability of Oral and Pharyngeal Transit Between Two Consecutive Swallows in Chagas' Disease.

Background: Chagas' disease causes dysphagia, regurgitation and retention of food in the esophageal body. Patients have longer pharyngeal clearance, which might be consequent of the involvement of the central nervous system or an adaptation to the esophageal transit impairment. If there is central nervous system involvement by the disease, we expect a larger difference in the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing between two consecutive swallows than that seen in controls.

Possible interaction of gender and age on human swallowing behavior.

Context: The swallowing behavior is affected by age and possibly by gender. However, the interaction of the effects of age and gender on swallowing is not completely known.

Objectives: To evaluate the possibility of interaction of gender and age on human swallowing behavior.

Evaluation of liquid ingestion after bariatric surgery.

Context: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for obesity; however, after surgery the patient may have difficulty in swallowing liquid and solid foods.

Objectives: To evaluate liquid ingestion in patients who had undergone bariatric surgery.

Method: We studied 43 volunteers with normal body mass index (BMI) (BMI: 18.

Effect of age on proximal esophageal response to swallowing.

Context: It has been demonstrated that the ageing process affects esophageal motility.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of the age on the proximal esophageal response to wet swallows.

Method: We measured the proximal esophageal response to swallows of a 5 mL bolus of water in 69 healthy volunteers, 20 of them aged 18-30 years (group I), 27 aged 31-50 years (group II), and 22 aged 51-74 years (group III).

Videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing in Chagas' disease.

Dysphagia is the most common digestive symptom reported by patients with Chagas' disease. The condition results from abnormalities of esophageal motility. Our hypothesis is that there are also alterations of oral and pharyngeal transit during swallowing.

Effect of gender on swallow event duration assessed by videofluoroscopy.

There are data suggesting that women swallow liquids at a lower flow rate and ingest smaller volumes in each swallow than men. Our objective in this work was to compare swallowing in asymptomatic men and women by videofluoroscopy. We studied 18 men [age = 33-77 years, mean = 61 (10) years] and 12 women [age = 29-72 years, mean = 53 (15) years] who swallowed in duplicate 5 and 10 ml of liquid and paste barium boluses.

Gender effect on the clinical measurement of swallowing.

Background: Swallowing coordination is affected by cortical and subcortical inputs from the central nervous system. Our hypothesis is that the swallowing dynamics may be influenced by gender.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of gender on water swallowing dynamics.